Anyone suggesting that media outlets should look to eliminate any notions of bias is kidding themselves, as it is simply impossible to do so. Attempting to be subjective, however, is achievable. This is something that mainstream media outlets covering the English Premier League have failed to do in recent years. While this topic has crossed my mind numerous times during my consumption of the sport, I’ve only just started to realize how prevalent this concept truly is.

One incident that refocused my attention on this topic was a comment that Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness made following Manchester United’s 1-0 victory over West Ham on October 31st, 2022. One of the standout performers for United on that day was new signing Lisandro Martinez, who was immense in helping his side keep a clean sheet against a relentless West Ham. However, prior to the start of the campaign, many pundits were skeptical about Martinez’s ability due to his lack of height. Standing at 5”9, Martinez became the shortest centre-back in the Premier League when he joined United from Ajax, this being something that sparked a topic of debate in the football community.

James McAteer, a pundit for LV BET, labelled the signing of the Argentinian as “frighteningly bad.” Another pundit, Jamie Carragher of Sky Sports, even went as far as to say he didn’t think Martinez could succeed in the Premier League. Of course, it is impossible to predict how well a new signing will do, but it is apparent that any pundit who heavily criticized Martinez had never seen him play or had never understood what his strengths were.

Now that Martinez has been able to demonstrate his skill and ability in the Premier League, pundits who previously criticized the centre-back are now providing new takes in order to save face. Souness was one of several media personalities who held the stance of Martinez’s height being problematic, however, he has since gone on to say he didn’t think that Martinez was “particularly special at anything.” Even after his performance on Sunday evening, Souness addressed the fact that he didn’t think Martinez was “terribly quick” or “good on the ball.”

It’s possible that I may showcase some bias here myself, but as a hardcore Manchester United supporter who has watched every minute of Lisandro Martinez in a United shirt, these comments from Souness are laughable. The “eye-test” suggests that Martinez has several strengths, including his relentless energy and tenaciousness, his composure on the ball and his ability to play a pass through the lines, and his tremendous skill in defending 1v1 situations.

The numbers also reaffirm the positive contribution that Martinez has made to this United side. In the last year that Martinez has played football, he ranks above the 80th percentile for centre-backs in passes attempted, passes completed, progressive passes, tackles, and blocks, according to FBRef. Not only that, but according to SportsBible, Martinez has won an astonishing 83% of his aerial duels in the Premier League this season. While it has been a short spell for Martinez at United, the fact that Souness and others do not want to admit that the Argentinian has done well up to this point is baffling. It is apparent that pundits like Souness possess intriguing personalities, something that likely draws viewers to what they have to say, but it also means that they would rather change the narrative than admit that they are wrong.

It is true that we are moving in a direction where entertainment value takes priority over riveting analysis of the game. This is often reflected in the type of content that does well on social media. The official Sky Sports Premier League YouTube account continuously generates millions of views under their videos with the “HEATED” label, something that has since become a running joke for fans of the channel. The prioritization of entertainment value is also reinforced in most of the preferred personalities and pundits that are present on Sky Sports programming. Platforms like Sky have an overwhelming number of ex-players on their panels, something I believe has caused several biased takes.

During Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s time in charge of Manchester United, it seemed as though he was being continuously protected from criticism thanks to his former teammates Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, and Roy Keane having significant influence within the mainstream media. Jamie Carragher rightfully called out his co-worker Neville over his protection of Ole, but he too fell victim to this form of bias when his former teammate, Steven Gerrard, took charge of Aston Villa. Despite the wonderful punditry that Carragher and Neville do provide, fans have become hyperaware of their bias within the media. This has contributed to their reduced credibility, something that may eventually hurt their platform.

Despite this change in the mainstream, the rise of the internet and social media has given the average fan a platform to express their thoughts and ideas about their favourite clubs and players. While this of course is an incredibly saturated field filled with non-credible individuals spewing senseless takes for attention, there are also many independent content creators with football scout and statistics accounts on both YouTube and Twitter that are showcasing their ability to break down and analyze the game. It wouldn’t be unwise to suggest that sport media is moving in a direction where these individual creators will have more influence on the general population of football fans, especially considering the increasing number of people who prefer these platforms to programmed television.

With all the ways that fans can consume football content now, it is no surprise to see many platforms and creators adjust their offerings to attract the best viewership. The power that the mainstream media outlets still have thanks to their direct connections with the Premier League means that they will continue to exist and thrive. Even if their content continues to stray from analytical and tactical breakdowns of the game and instead focuses on narrative, there will always be room for creators and fans who primarily care about the technical side of the sport thanks to recent technological and social developments. At the very least, it will be interesting to see how the dynamic between these two forms of media changes in the future.